Nick is creating music on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NickStanding
PayPal Tip Jar: https://paypal.me/NickStanding

Purchase the “Side Character In My Own Life” and “Side Character In My Own Life (Instrumentals)” albums on Bandcamp:
https://betterthanthebook.bandcamp.com/

And get CDs and Vinyls on ElasticStage:
https://elasticstage.com/betterthanthebookuk

Better Than The Book - Side Character In My Own Life (Instrumentals)

01 - 2020 Was A Write-off, But What Comes Next? (Instrumental)
02 - Side Character In My Own Life (Instrumental)
03 - Mood Swings (Instrumental)
04 - Red Kite (Instrumental)
05 - Rewrite (Instrumental)
06 - Don't Be Too Hard On Yourself (Instrumental)
07 - Hold Me Tight (Instrumental)
08 - Bump In The Night (Instrumental)
09 - Plot Holes (Instrumental)
10 - You'll Never Be Too Old For This (Instrumental)
Bonus Tracks
11 - Hearts Racing Backwards (Instrumental)
12 - Plot Holes (Alternative Version) (Instrumental)
13 - Hold Me Tight (Non-Acoustic) (Instrumental)
14 - Side Character In My Own Life (Acoustic) (Instrumental)
+ Additional Radio Edits for Tracks 07, 08, 09 & 10 

Written, performed and produced by Nick Standing [Jabun]
Recorded, mixed and mastered at JabunAudio by Nick Standing [Jabun]
Artwork, images and photography by Nick Standing [Jabun]

No generative A.I. tools were used in the creation of this album.

For full original album credits, special thanks and descriptions please visit the Better Than The Book - Side Character In My Own Life Bandcamp page:
https://betterthanthebook.bandcamp.com/album/side-character-in-my-own-life

Follow Better Than The Book and Nick Standing / JabunAudio for more music:
https://betterthanthebook.bandcamp.com/
https://www.patreon.com/NickStanding
https://www.youtube.com/@JabunAudio
https://www.facebook.com/BetterThanTheBookUK
https://betterthanthebookuk.weebly.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4GUCmKQoIk3bNWGiXDGkrp

Copyright Better Than The Book 2025

Side Character In My Own Life (Instrumentals)

2020 Was A Write-off, But What Comes Next? (Instrumental)

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2qfQ7xjnBLQnQOQWK3WChF

Body Heat

Lyrics:

[Intro]
In the silence, I hear your name
Like a whisper laced with flame
I breathe you in, I choke again
You never knock — you just break in

[Verse 1]
Midnight folds around my skin
Still and stiller — then you're in
Your voice cuts through, it scars, it sings
You're dressed in all your old new sins
Same eyes, but colder now
Same lies with a prettier sound
I brace for impact, brace to drown
You never save — you pull me down

[Pre-Chorus]
(And I...)
Swore I’d never fall again
But your storms don’t beg — they bend
I run, but you redraw the end

[Chorus]
You're the fuse and I’m the flame
We keep playing this war like a game
Every kiss — another grenade
Every touch — another grave
I can’t break, I can’t escape
You carve love like a blade
Familiar scars, still fresh, still ours
We were art before we decayed

[Verse 2]
You speak in sparks, then disappear
I breathe in pain like atmosphere
Your silence screams louder each year
But I still lean in when you’re near
You draw apologies in air
Like smoke that’s never really there
I swallow pride, pretend not to care
Just to keep us from nowhere

[Pre-Chorus]
(And I...)
Tried to walk, feet turned to stone
My shadow’s yours, I die alone
You’re chaos — but you feel like home

[Chorus]
You're the fuse and I’m the flame
We keep playing this war like a game
Every kiss — another grenade
Every touch — another grave
I can’t break, I can’t escape
You carve love like a blade
Familiar scars, still fresh, still ours
We were art before we decayed

[Bridge]
You kissed like war — no warning, no peace
You left like silence — no wounds, no release
But still, I crave your bitter symphony
Is this love or a slow eulogy?

[Chorus]
You're the fuse and I’m the flame
We keep playing this war like a game
Every kiss — another grenade
Every touch — another grave
I can’t break, I can’t escape
You carve love like a blade
Familiar scars, still fresh, still ours
We were art before we decayed

[Outro]
Love should never detonate...
But we do
Every time
And still I wait

LZX - Familiar Scars

Lyrics:

[Intro]
1:29 again — can you feel it breathe?
The silence stretches like a scream with teeth

[Verse 1]
Peeling walls still whisper names
Yours is carved in every blame
This room’s a shrine of sweet decay
Where love died slow, but chose to stay

[Pre-Chorus]
You were fire, I was fuse
Our bed was war, we both would lose
Pages bled in crimson ink
You cursed my name in every blink

[Chorus]
We were never smoke — just flames
Dancing in our damage, feeding shame
You stitched my name into your rage
A requiem trapped in a golden cage
We burned the sky just to feel alive
1:29 — we always arrived

[Verse 2]
Curtains swayed like haunted lungs
Breathing dread where songs were sung
You cracked like thunder in a jar
So fragile, but you left a scar

[Pre-Chorus]
Midnight wars, no ceasefire
Wounds were truths set on fire
I wore silence like a shield
But in that quiet, I was revealed

[Chorus]
We were never smoke — just flames
Dancing in our damage, feeding shame
You stitched my name into your rage
A requiem trapped in a golden cage
We burned the sky just to feel alive
1:29 — 1:29 — we always arrived

[Bridge]
Your voice — still echoes through the rot
"Yours" — a vow, a curse, forgot
We kissed like fists, we fought like song
Two wrong notes — still held too long

[Break]
(Haunted breath — is this regret?)
(Or just the ghost that never left?)

[Final Chorus]
We were never smoke — just flames
Melody stitched in savage games
Ash and echo, still remains
But I'd set fire to it all again
We bled love, we carved the sound
1:29 — 1:29 — where we both drowned

[Outro]
Locked the door, kept the pain in
Two stars — burning for a sin
Still called it love
Still let it win…

LZX - 1:29 am

Lyrics:

[Intro]
She said goodbye with a smile too calm
I should’ve known it was a ticking bomb
No shattered glass, no final scream
Just a ghost walking out of a dream

[Verse 1]
You stitched your lies with perfect grace
I watched the colors drain from your face
Said it’s not me, “we just grew apart”
But there was blood behind that heart

[Pre-Chorus]
I felt the ache, but didn’t ask why
Didn’t chase the truth, just let it die
But silence screams louder than words
And your secrets cut worse than swords

[Chorus]
You were carrying pieces of me
A heartbeat I never got to meet
Fell down the stairs, but never called
Lost more than your balance in that fall
And you let me walk blind through the fire
Built our end on a funeral pyre
I was grieving the wrong goodbye
While our child’s shadow passed me by

[Verse 2]
I saw the hospital tag in your drawer
Date etched in ink I can't ignore
Two weeks after you walked away
While I cursed love, you buried a grave

[Pre-Chorus]
How could you carry that weight alone?
Why let me heal on lies and stone?
You had your reasons, I won’t pretend
But we lost more than just the end

[Chorus]
You were carrying pieces of me
A heartbeat I never got to meet
Fell down the stairs, but never called
Lost more than your balance in that fall
And you let me walk blind through the fire
Built our end on a funeral pyre
I was grieving the wrong goodbye
While our child’s shadow passed me by

[Bridge]
Was it shame? Was it pride?
Or did you just want to feel like you tried?
I could’ve held your hand through the dark
But you locked the truth behind your heart

I would’ve named them
I would’ve stayed
I would've mourned them
Instead, you betrayed

[Chorus]
You were carrying pieces of me
A heartbeat I never got to meet
Fell down the stairs, but never called
Lost more than your balance in that fall
And you let me walk blind through the fire
Built our end on a funeral pyre
Now I whisper to ghosts I never knew
And bleed for a truth I can't undo

[Outro]
Secrets in the silence…
You took the cradle and left the violence…

LZX - Silence

Lyrics:

[Intro]
We were brothers once, a bonded flame
Now I can't even say your name

[Verse 1]
I gave you trust, you gave me shame
A thousand laughs can’t cleanse that stain
You wore a mask for so damn long
But now the truth sings louder than our song

[Pre-Chorus]
I looked away when cracks first showed
But silence let the rot explode

[Chorus]
You're not a ghost, you're a loaded lie
Hiding filth in a suit and tie
No more defense, no second chance
You burned the bridge with your own hands
This is the line, I won't pretend
You’re no friend of mine in the end

[Verse 2]
All the warnings, all the signs
We brushed it off a thousand times
But innocence should never bleed
You chose the dark, and let it feed

[Breakdown]
How dare you play the victim now
While kids pay for what you disavow
You think silence is a shield?
Watch every secret be revealed!

[Bridge]
You said, “We all make some mistakes”
But monsters don’t deserve a break
Redemption starts with facing truth
Not hiding behind a broken youth

[Chorus]
You're not a ghost, you're a loaded lie
Hiding filth in a suit and tie
No more defense, no second chance
You burned the bridge with your own hands
This is the line, I won't pretend
You’re no friend of mine in the end

[Outro]
No room for monsters in my life
Not when they prey, not when they lie

LZX - No Room

The first track from our upcoming album Ever After, out October 24th!!

Ever After

Buy Music / Merch

Action/Adventure "URL"

Ready?
Game
Let's start

Wake up
Hit play
New round, same pain
Spawned mid lane, no gold, no gain

Respawned in a world I never chose
Like Minecraft, punch trees just to grow
Built my base while they flew past
I break my tools, they build so fast

This match aint fair, this map aint kind
They get radar, Im running blind
Still I queue up, still I fight
Even if I lose tonight

Life is just a game, so they say, so they say
But the match is rigged in a different way
You get shields, I get slows
You get paths, I get throws
Still I press start every fucking day

You've got your lane and backup calls
I roam alone through jungle walls
You play safe with full support
I dive in, always come up short

No revive, no second plan,
Like Valorant, headshot where I stand
But even stunned, I hold the line
Clutch or lose, its still my time

They flex their skins, they talk like kings
But never played with broken wings
Still I grind, still I load
Even when I bear the code

Life is just a game, so they claim, so they claim
But not all players earn the same
You get buffs, I get bugs
You get cheers, I get shrugs
Still I respawn through the fucking flame

Life aint fair, and thats the truth
But I won't lose to your excuse
Im more than code, Im more than fate
Dont need your patch to validate

This is just a game, but I still breathe
Every scar I wear is my creed
You get light, I chase stars
I get stunned, but heal the scars
Still I level up through goddamn pain

This is just a game

Just a Game

This doesn't make sense
But it never had to
You looked at the camera
And I thought it was me

I gave you hours I'll never get back
Sat in silence just to watch you laugh
Your voice was louder than my friends
Your smile was something I tried to defend

You looked straight through the lens
Like you knew what I felt
But I was just noise
One click out of twelve

You don't know my name
But I burned for yours
Told myself it mattered
While you opened every door
Except mine, Except me
You thanked the crowd
But never seen me scream

I skipped birthdays just to type
"Love you" in a sea of light
Watched you fall in love online
While I lied and said I'm fine

Every post you made, I saved
Like maybe one day, you'd be amazed
That someone cared this much
For nothing back
Not even a touch

You don't know my name
But I bled out for yours
You were god, and I was dirt
Still I worshipped through the hurt
You smiled, I believed
You moved on, I stayed unseen

I thought I meant something
In the noise, in the feed
But I was just background
While you lived and I need

You don't know my name
But I tattooed yours
On every hour, every night
Wishing you were more

Than a screen, than a dream
But I wake up, And I'm still just me

Just me
Just me
Still me
Still here
Still not seen

That's it. That's all I am
You happy?
Because I'm happy for you

Parasocial

Alright
Fuck it
Let's do this

I calculate the weight of stares
Step in the room, absorb the air
I wear my charm like tailored skin
A flawless shell, rot deep within

I mimic smiles, rehearse replies
No guilt behind these crystal eyes
I read your pulse like open books
Then feed the flame and pull the hooks

No conscience here, no second guess
I study weakness, I possess

I don't feel, I replicate
Twist your truths and decorate
I'm the silence in the scream
The needle hiding in your dream
You think I break? I just reshape
I walk through fire, cold and straight

I trace your fears with steady hands
Collapse your world like shifting sand
Your panic is a masterpiece
I watch you fall, I feel... at peace

Morality is just a tale
Told by fools afraid to fail
I don't connect, I don't relate
I orchestrate. I dominate

I don't regret. I don't explain
I light the fuse, then watch the pain

I don't feel, I replicate
Twist your truths and decorate
I'm the silence in the scream
The needle hiding in your dream
You think I care? I'm just amused
Another mind to twist and use

I never cried, I never broke
I saw the world and then I spoke
"Too weak, too soft, too easy"
"Too weak, too soft, too easy"
"Too weak, too soft, too easy"

I don't feel, I dominate
Peel your layers, replicate
I'm the eye behind the screen
The shadow where you've never been
You think I'm lost? I wrote the maze
I set the fire and watch it blaze

There's no remorse
No soul to own
Just me, the void
Behind the throne

Yeah, fuck you

Sociopath

Track 5 from my debut EP titled "STRAIGHT UP" EP 

COASTIN'

I Don't Think So

Pop Punk 2025

Unicorn & Pandas Death Fight

Weesho is an independent artist with a passion for music creation and a hard promise to establish himself as a force to reckon with in this country's growing music scene. 
The Philly / Delaware Area native is known for producing fresh blends of Pop-Punk, Easy-core, Bounce, and chugginess, turning it into catchy classics and beautiful experiences. 
"I'm definitely looking to redefine what people think of when they hear the words chuggs, catchy, and "BOP". So for those that hang in with me, will surely enjoy a NEW style of music to sing and jam to! "

Heartfelt and high energy UK #Skapunk / #Poppunk slices of life from some guy born in the 90s. A musical project by Nick Standing AKA Jabun.

For my other project https://soundcloud.com/jabun and JabunAudio work, please visit the links above or below for a whole plethora of different flavours of music!

Jericho Walnut Fusion 7 (2023)
Chapman ML1 Modern Storm Burst (2022)
Sire 5 String Marcus Miller V3 Bass
Quad Cortex
Focusrite Scarlett
Logic Pro X, STL Tones, Neural DSP & GGD

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jsemlukin/?hl=cs
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3bUdb4WI3k7ZmeBfjZ9nzu?si=n7m_F8XeR7SKyHNl-HecVA&utm_source=copy-link


New tracks tagged #Easycore